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Art & Culture

Readers Picks

Lots of dance, a thriving visual arts scene and some of the best little theaters in Central California mean Santa Cruz is offering room and board to all nine muses--pretty impressive for a community this size. Scribner would be proud.

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Best Club DJ

DJ AD
You can take the girl out of Club Dakota, but you can't take Club Dakota out of the girl. The hardest working DJ in town, DJ AD was Dakota's mainstay until the club shut down last summer. But don't fret, she's still dropping ass-wiggling beats at Red, and, once again, she's your winner for best DJ.

Best Museum

Museum of Art and History
Curator Susan Hillhouse has reinvigorated the downtown museum with a series of provocative and ambitious exhibits, the most recent of which is the countywide Assemblage + Collage + Construction show. Always a treasure, the museum now takes its place as a premier venue in downtown Santa Cruz.705 Front St., Santa Cruz. 831.429.1964.

Best Performance Space

Kuumbwa
Probably the best small music venue in the entire country, if not the world, for serious jazz fans. It's like having a concert in your living room with a great sound system and excellent acoustics. Many of the world's best jazz artists perform here on a regular basis. Decent food and drinks also available.320-2 Cedar St., Santa Cruz. 831.427.2227.

Best Poet

Adrienne Rich
Searching for some life-changing quotes, or at least a few brilliant and poetic lines to use as an email signature? Adrienne Rich has the words. The local feminist/lesbian/Jewish /labels-cannot-possible-encompass-her-literary-splendor poet and essayist has written over 16 volumes of poetry and prose. Rich is essential reading for all people who possess a soul.